Portable light switch



June 3, 1952 J. w. THOMAS 2,599,295

PORTABLE LIGHT SWITCH Filed Oct. 25, 1950 20 la 5 /04 Flg/ 3o 32 v I02 I F/ .4 F143 2 9 I0 0 12 I668 I 54 I0 In rel/tar John w Thomas Patented June 3, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE LIGHT SWITCH John W..Thoma s, Newport N'ews,.Va.

1 Application October 23, 1950, Serial No. 191,791

4 Claims. 1

invention comprises novel and: useful improvementsinportable light switches and more particularly pertains to flashlight switches.

An important object of this invention is to provide a flashlight of waterproof construction so that the flashlight will not become short circuited and rendered ineffectual due to contact with water.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a flashlight switch which is of gasproof construction so that the are caused by making and braking the electrical circuit will not cause an explosion when the flashlight is utilized in an explosive gaseous environment.

Still another object of this invention is to pro vide a flashlight in which those portions of the electrical circuit that are exposed to corrosion are also readily excessible for purposes of cleaning.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a switch which, although of gas-proof and waterproof construction may be readily assembled and disassembled for purposesof cleaning, and which is'detachable; as a unit, from the flashlight so that it may bereplaced.

An important feature of this invention resides in theprovision of a flashlight including a casing, with conductors embedded in the material of the casing, which conductors have terminals on the registering ends thereof, with a switch unit adapted to be detachablysecured to said terminals so that the switch unit maybe removed from the flashlight for cleaning or replacement.

Another feature of this invention resides in the provision of a flashlight switch for a flashlight constructed in accordance with the foregoing feature which switch includes a housing having a flexible topwall and a perimetric side wall, with a bottom Wall adapted to be detachably secured to said housing, which bottom wall has a pair of clamps carried thereby for detachably receiving th spaced terminals, together with a switch arm disposed in the housing and operatively engaging the flexible top wall thereof whereby the arm is movedlnto terminal bridging position in response to pressure applied to the flexible top wall of the housing.

A further feature of this invention resides in the provision of a flashlight switch, in accordance with the foregoing feature in which the switch arm is carried by one of the clamps and is selectively movable into contact with the other of the clamps to electrically bridge said terminals.

These, together with various ancillary objects and features are attained by this device, a pre-- ferred embodiment of which has been illustrate: in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the flashlight;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the flashlight and flashlight switch;

Figure 3v is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on the plane 3-3 of Figure. 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the plane e-4 of Figure. 2 and Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the flashlight showing the manner in which the switch unit is mounted thereon.

Reference isnow made more specifically to the accompanying drawings wherein there is shown a flashlight, indicated generally by the numeral It, which is adapted to have a switch unit l2 detachably secured thereto.

The flashlight includes a cylindrical casing M of electrically insulative material such as rubber.v which casing has an enlarged head portion H5. The head portion 16 is externally threaded as at $8 and receives an internally threaded ring 20 which is adapted to retain the sealed-beam head lamp unit 22 in the head portion. The casing 14 also includes a transverse front wall 24,, of electrically insulative material, which front Wall has an integral forwardly extending boss 26' thereon.

A pair of socket terminals 28 are molded or otherwise embedded. in the material of the boss 26, which socket terminals receive the prongs 30 carried by the sealed beam lamp unit 20. A positive contact post 32 is mounted axially onthe transverse front wall 24 to be engaged by the central terminal of one of the conventional dry cells 34 disposed in the casing 14. lhe post 32 is connected by a conductor 36 to one of the socket terminals, the other socket terminal being con nected to an L-shaped conductor 38 which otherwise terminates in dome-threaded contact terminal iii. A conductor bar 42 extends longitudinally of the casing I l and terminates at its forward end in a dome-threaded contact terminal M, the rear end of the bar 42 being connected to a ring. it of electrically conductive material. As will be appreciated, the conductor bar 42, and the conductors 36 and 38 are embedded in the material of the casing l4 and front wall 24 thereof so as to be protected against corrosion.

A cap 58 is carried by the rear end of. the casing, which cap is adapted to receive a spare switch unit 12, the latter being retained in position by means of the switch mounting plate 50 which engages the end of the casing when the cap is mounted on the latter.

A transverse bar 52 has one end thereof disposed in an opening (not shown) in the ring 46, the other end being detachably received in the L-shaped bayonet slot 54 in the diametrically opposed portion of the ring. A suitable compression spring 56 is carried by the bar 52, which spring engages the bottom wall of one of the dry cells 34 to yieldingly retain the same in position and electrically connect the dry cells to the conductor bar 42 through the intermediary of the ring 46.

The casing I4 is provided with a longitudinally extending enlarged boss 58 having a recess 60 therein adapted to receive the housing 62 of the switch unit l2.

The housing 62 includes a flexible top wall 65, preferably of a non-corrosive metallic material, and an integral perimetric side wall 66. An inner casing, of dielectric material, is disposed in the housing, which inner casing includes a flexible top wall 68, side walls It, and enlarged end walls 12. A. bottom wall M, also of dielectric material is detachably secured, as by fasteners 16 to the end walls of the inner casing, the side wall of the housing overlying the upper edge of the bottom wall 14 and abutting the gasket 78, disposed in the recess, to prevent admission of water or gas to the switch unit when the latter is disposed on the flashlight.

A pair of resilient socket members 80 and 32 are carried by the bottom wall l4 and extend therethrough, which sockets are adapted to engage the dome-headed terminals '48 and 44 to detachably retain the switch housing 62 in the recess 60.

A switch arm 84 is pivotally connected by pin 86 to the socket member 62, the arm being biased out of terminal closing position by the spring 8t. A lug 90 is carried by the arm 84 and engages the top wall 68 of the inner casing, whereby the switch arm will be moved in response to flexing of the top wall 64 of the housing 62.

The switch mounting plate is retained in position on the boss 58 by means of clamps 92 and 54, each of which is secured to the boss 58 by fasteners 95. have a slot 98 therein, through which the fastener 96 extends so that the clamp 94 may be moved to clear the mounting plate 59 and permit removal of the latter. The mounting plate is provided with an elongated slot ltll, in the forward portion of which is disposed a flanged actuator button I 02 which rests upon the top wall 54 of the housing. A slidable latch member m4 is reciprocably disposed in the rear portion of the slot, and re tained in position by suitable inwardly extending lugs I05 carried by the mounting plate, the forward portion of the latch member being adapted to overlie the actuator button, to retain the same in its switch closing position.

Suitable recesses M3 are formed in the boss 53 to permit removal of the switch unit.

From the foregoing, it will be readily appreciated that casing I 4 having a unitary front wall 24 and cap 48 thereon, will be substantially water tight. However, in the event moisture does condense in the casing, it will be appreciated the exposed portions of the electrical system are accessible for cleaning purposes, and that the exposed portions have been reduced by the disposing of the conductors and 3B and conductor bar 42 in the material of the casing. It will ad- It is intended that the clamp 9 4 ditionally be noted that the switch is sealed against the admission of water or gas and consequently will not tend to become corroded or cause an explosion, due to arcing of the switch, when the flashlight is utilized in an explosive atmos phere.

Having described the claimed as new is:

l. A switch housing having a flexible top wall and a perimetric side wall, a bottom wall oletachably secured to said housing, a pair of contacts carried by the bottom wall, means carried by said bottom wall for detachably clamping said bottom wall to a supporting structure, a switch arm movably disposed in said housing and engaging said top wall, and externally manipulatable means for flexing said top wall and moving said switch arm into a position to electrically bridge said contacts.

2. A switch housing including a flexible top wall and a perimetric side wall formed integrally with said top wall, a bottom wall detachably secured to said housing, a pair of resilient socket clamps of electrically conductive material carried by said bottom wall adapted to detachably engage a pair of terminals, said sockets extending into said housing, a switch arm movably mounted in said housing for selectively bridging said clamps, said arm operatively engaging said flexible top wall to be moved in response to a pressure applied thereto.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said arm is carried by one of said clamps and movable into and out of engagement with the other of said clamps.

i. A switch housing including a top wall and a perimetric side Wall formed integrally with said top wall, a lining of electrically insulating material disposed in said housing, a bottom wall secured to said housing, means carried by said bottom walland adapted to engage a pair of terminals to detachably secure said housing to a supporting structure, a switch arm movably disposed in said housing and engaging that portion of said lining which underlies said flexible top wall to be moved in response to a pressure applied to the latter into terminal bridging position.

invention, what is JOHN W. THOMAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,469,243 Backscheider Oct. 2, 1923 1,522,746 Prew Jan. 13, 1925 2,468,512 Riche Apr. 26, 1949 

